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Top 5 Ways to Manage Type 2 Diabetes

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28th Dec 2021




Type 2 diabetes is a severe disease that can cause various complications. While with proper diabetes management you may live a long and healthy life, it is crucial to take your medications and monitor your blood sugar levels as directed by your doctor. But this is only one part of successful diabetes management. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as eating nutritious food and exercising on a regular basis, can help you better manage type 2 diabetes.

Making some healthy lifestyle changes and ditching bad habits can help you better manage diabetes. Learn more about 5 effective ways to control type 2 diabetes. 

1. Take diabetes seriously

While diabetes can be successfully managed, this is a serious disease. To prevent severe complications, you need to be responsible and mindful of your disease. You need to strictly follow your doctor’s recommendations about medications. Even if your blood sugar is stable and at a normal range, you should never reduce the dose of meds or stop using them.  

If you have diabetes, you must eat healthful foods, maintain a healthy weight, and exercise more regularly even when they feel well. There's a lot to do. It isn’t easy, but your health is worth these efforts.

2. Maintain a healthy weight

If you are overweight, it is crucial to lose excess weight for better diabetes control. This may seem extremely difficult, especially if you need to lose a significant amount of weight. But even a mild weight loss of 10 to 15 pounds can make a great impact. Your doctor can help you develop small goals to achieve and recommend modifications, so you can start losing weight. 

You may also consider weight loss surgery to lower your body mass. Researchers show that bariatric surgery can help people with diabetes achieve long-term remission.

3. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help keep your blood sugar levels stable. Two fundamental guidelines of a type 2 diabetes diet are to eat smaller meals throughout the day and keep an eye on your carbs intake. Choosing lean meats and plenty of fresh vegetables, as well as limiting your intake of fats, carbs, and sugary meals will help you maintain normal blood sugar. You may ask your doctor to help you make a meal plan. Keep in mind that diabetes doesn’t mean that you can never enjoy a piece of your favorite cake. The trick is to eat a small portion.

4. Test your blood sugar

You should maintain a blood sugar journal and monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor. Checking your blood sugar levels throughout the day is recommended for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes who take insulin. Blood sugar testing recommendations for patients with type 2 diabetes who don’t inject insulin might vary. 

Testing before and after meals can help you discover how different foods impact your blood sugar. Don’t treat what you suspect is low blood sugar without first testing, as the symptoms of high and low blood sugar might be similar sometimes. If you have unexpectedly high blood sugar levels, contact your doctor for a treatment recommendation.

5. Enjoy regular physical activity

Exercise helps to regulate blood sugar levels, but you don't have to run a marathon. For people with diabetes, 30 minutes of physical exercise 4-5 times a week is enough for effective type 2 diabetes control. If you're short on time, consider incorporating 10 minutes of physical activity three times each day. Alternatively, a great approach to start an active lifestyle is to go dancing. Before beginning an exercise regimen, be sure to consult your doctor for recommendations.